Composite Door Skin and Fuselage Wall Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing process for aircraft fuselage parts with doors requires separate formation of the door and fuselage wall, leading to challenges in achieving precise dimensional tolerances and a proper fit, which can result in inefficiencies and suboptimal assembly.
Innovation Solution
A method and assembly where a first and second sheet of uncured composite material are placed on a mold plate with an insert to define the door skin and fuselage wall, cured together, and then separated using a cutting tool without penetrating the second sheet, allowing for simultaneous manufacture and precise alignment of the door skin and wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the door and fuselage wall are manufactured separately in independent tools, then the manufacturing process is simpler and more flexible, but the dimensional tolerances and fit quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the door skin and fuselage wall manufacturing into a single integrated process. Both components are formed simultaneously in one tooling assembly from a single composite layup, eliminating the need for separate manufacturing operations and subsequent assembly. This integration ensures precise dimensional tolerances and optimal fit quality while maintaining process simplicity through unified tooling design.
Solution Approach 2:
The tooling assembly is segmented into distinct sections: a first section for forming the door skin and a second section for forming the fuselage wall. This segmentation allows each component to be independently shaped with precise control over their respective geometries and tolerances, while still being manufactured in the same operational cycle.
2Productivity
If the door and fuselage wall are manufactured separately, then each component can be optimized independently, but the number of manufacturing steps and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process achieves continuity by performing multiple useful actions simultaneously within a single operational cycle. The composite material is laid up once, and both the door skin and fuselage wall are formed in the same tooling assembly during one curing cycle, eliminating repeated manufacturing steps and reducing overall production time.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple manufacturing operations that would traditionally be performed separately are merged into a single integrated process. The door and fuselage wall are formed, cured, and prepared for assembly all in one continuous operation, significantly improving productivity and reducing manufacturing cycle time.
3Ease of manufacture
If separate tools are used for door and fuselage wall manufacturing, then tooling flexibility is maintained, but the number of tools and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tooling assembly is designed as a universal fixture that performs multiple functions: forming the door skin, forming the fuselage wall, and providing registration features for precise alignment. This multi-functional tooling eliminates the need for separate dedicated tools for each component, reducing the total number of tools required while maintaining the flexibility to manufacture different configurations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the simultaneous manufacture of door skins and fuselage walls with improved dimensional accuracy and reduced manufacturing steps, leading to a tighter and more aesthetically pleasing joint, while also reducing labor and tooling requirements.
Implementation Method 1
curing the first and second sheets, the first and second sheets bonding together adjacent the peripheral portion of the insert during the cure
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a door skin and a fuselage wall having a doorway and a member extending into the doorway for abutting the door includes placing a first sheet of uncured composite material on a mold plate to define the door and fuselage skin, disposing an insert over the first sheet overlapping a desired periphery of the door, placing a second sheet of uncured composite material on a peripheral portion of the insert and over the first sheet adjacent the peripheral portion of the insert to form the member, curing the sheets and bonding the sheets together adjacent the insert during the cure, removing the insert from between the sheets after cure, and separating the door skin from the wall skin after cure by moving a cutting tool through the first sheet and without penetrating the second sheet around the desired periphery of the door. An assembly for manufacturing the door skin and a fuselage wall is also discussed.